It is known that benzaldehyde and certain substituted benzaldehydes may be condensed with acetone to obtain certain unsubstituted and substituted 1,5-diaryl-penta-1,4-dien-3-one compounds, also referred to as dibenzalacetones. Typical procedures are described in Org. Syn., Coll. Vol. II, 167 (1943) and British Patent 1,442,133. The preparation of certain unsubstituted and substituted 1,5-diaryl-3-pentanols by the catalytic hydrogenation of the 1,5 diaryl-penta-1,4-dien- 3-one compounds also is described in the literature. British Patent 1,442,133 discloses the hydrogenation of 1,5 bis(3',5'-di-t-butyl-4'-hydroxyphenyl)penta-1,4-dien-3-one to the corresponding 1,5-bis(3',5'-di-t-butyl-4'-hydroxyphenyl)pentanol over 5% palladium on carbon at a pressure of 420 to 580 psig pressure. Ipat'ev and Orlov, [Compt. Rend., 184, 751 (C.A. 21:1974; 1927), Bull. Soc. Chim., 41, 862 (C.A. 21:3042; 1927), J. Russ. Phys. Chem. Soc., 59, 537 (C.A. 22:1151; 1927)] describe the catalytic hydrogenation of 1,5-diphenylpenta-1,4-dien- 3-one using nickel catalyst and mention specifically that nickel oxide, at 170.degree.-180.degree. C. and 980-1400 psi hydrogen pressure, gives the ketone, 1,5-diphenyl-3-pentanone. They also state that copper oxide is not an effective catalyst. The hydrogenation of 1,5-diphenyl-penta-1,4-dien-3 -one to 1,5-diphenyl-3-pentanol at lower pressure and Raney nickel is disclosed in Compt. Rend., 229, 460, (1949). A similar catalytic hydrogenation using a "skeletal" nickel catalyst at 2100 psi hydrogen pressure is disclosed in J. Organomet, Chem., 153, 181 (1978). According to Chem. Ber., 74B, 1195 (1941), a platinum oxide catalyst gives a 1:1 mixture of 1,5-diphenyl-3-pentanone and 1,5-diphenyl-3-pentanol.